KUALA LUMPUR: A source has revealed to The Mole that Global Witness, the non-governmental organisation (NGO) responsible for the recent video that allegedly incriminates Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud in questionable land deals, has received funding from an organisation founded by currency speculator George Soros.

A financial report obtained by The Mole shows that in 2011, Global Witness received £1,249,970 from Foundation Open Society Institute (OSI), which was founded by Soros. That contribution accounted for most of Global Witness’s voluntary income in 2011.

Among Global Witness’s ‘incoming resources from charitable activities’ in 2011 was £19,083 from the National Endowment for Democracy (NDE), which is in turn largely funded by the United States government.

Both OSI and NDE have received criticism in recent years for what some say are attempts to influence Malaysia’s domestic affairs through connections to the Opposition, pro-Opposition news websites such as Malaysiakini, and pro-Opposition NGOs such as Bersih and Suaram.

Kuala Lumpur-based American journalist Nile Bowie wrote last September:

“As NED hides behind tired euphemisms of ‘promoting democracy’ and ‘fortifying civil society’ around the world, the organization has been accused of manipulating elections and bolstering dissident organizations in an attempt to topple governments in Nicaragua, Albania, Venezuela, Russia, and elsewhere. Government-funded organizations like NED, and others such as Freedom House and the International Republic Institute, exist to further American foreign policy in the countries where Washington has strategic interests.

“The United States has begun shifting its focus to the Asia Pacific region in recent times, which many believe is a means to counter China’s growing influence. Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim maintains close ties with senior American officials and was even a panelist at NED’s ‘Democracy Award’ event held in Washington D.C. in 2007.”

Bowie also pointed out that NED funds both Malaysiakini and Suaram, and that the National Democratic Institute – an NED satellite organisation that Bowie identified as pro-Israel – provided funding for Bersih, as did OSI.

Bowie said Bersih and Suaram “receive funding to cast doubt on the political status quo and to promote dissent”.

Malaysian journalist Shamsul Akmar wrote in December 2012 that along with Malaysiakini, those NGOs “are either naïve or that they take others to be naïve when they insisted there is nothing wrong or sinister about them receiving funds from Soros, his OSI or other organisations linked to them”.

“Surely, what Soros and the OSI have done elsewhere is not going to stop when it comes to Malaysia. Surely too, Soros and the OSI will aim to use the Malaysian NGOs, which they fund, to pursue their regime change agenda,” Shamsul added.

The video by the NGO has stoked anger among Malaysians especially Sarawakians while Opposition leaders are having a field day in criticising the ruling government and demanding for an investigation to be taken on Taib.